Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Quebec

Yes, at hospital programmes only. RAMQ covers HBOT at Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis (Quebec City area) and Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal for the 14 recognised conditions with a physician referral. Private hyperbaric clinics in Quebec are not RAMQ-covered.

Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis in the Quebec City area has an 18-person multiplace chamber, the largest single multiplace hyperbaric chamber in Canada. It provides 24/7 emergency coverage and is affiliated with Université Laval. The chamber's capacity allows it to receive critical care patients including those requiring mechanical ventilation. Other provinces (Ontario in particular) have greater total hospital hyperbaric capacity distributed across multiple programmes.

No. Private hyperbaric clinics in Quebec are not covered by RAMQ. Treatment at private clinics like Hyperbaric Montreal is entirely out of pocket. Some private extended health plans may cover specific indications; confirm with your plan administrator before booking.

Patients in regions distant from the two hospital programmes (Côte-Nord, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Gaspésie) are coordinated to either Lévis or Montréal through their physician and the regional CIUSSS. For emergencies, fixed-wing or helicopter air ambulance transport is arranged depending on clinical urgency.

Private-pay HBOT in Quebec typically ranges from approximately $150 to $400 per session depending on chamber type and clinical complexity. A full course of 20 to 40 sessions for a chronic indication can total $3,000 to $16,000. Confirm current pricing with the clinic directly.

Quebec references the 14 recognised conditions: carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, gas or air embolism, gas gangrene, necrotising soft-tissue infections, crush injury, severe anaemia, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, problem wounds, soft-tissue radiation necrosis, radiation damage affecting bone, compromised grafts and flaps, refractory osteomyelitis, and thermal burns. Intracranial abscess (UHMS Indication #8) and central retinal artery occlusion (a sub-presentation of arterial insufficiency) are additional UHMS-listed uses treated at some Canadian hospital hyperbaric programmes, not among the named Health Canada 14.

Most chronic indications require a course of 20 to 40 daily sessions, with some radiation indications requiring up to 60 sessions. Each session typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes. Acute emergencies may require only one or a few treatments.

Call 911. The receiving emergency department coordinates urgent transfer to the nearest hospital hyperbaric programme, Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis or Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, through the regional CIUSSS critical care transport network. For diving emergencies, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) hotline at 1-919-684-9111 can advise on the nearest active recompression chamber.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Quebec is accessed through RAMQ at Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal for the 14 recognised conditions with a physician referral. The referral pathway typically starts with a family physician or specialist (hyperbaric medicine, wound care, infectious disease, otolaryngology for sudden hearing loss, ophthalmology for retinal indications). The referring physician faxes the referral to the closest hospital hyperbaric unit, which schedules an in-person consultation; treatment begins after the unit's hyperbaric physician confirms clinical appropriateness. Emergency cases (carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, gas embolism) bypass the elective referral pathway and are accepted directly from emergency departments.

Quebec's health system is organised through the Ministry of Health and Social Services, with regional delivery by the CIUSSS and CISSS networks. Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal operates within CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, and Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis operates within CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches, with an academic affiliation with Université Laval. RAMQ coordinates insurance coverage province-wide and covers HBOT at these two hospitals for the 14 recognised conditions with a physician referral.

Private HBOT clinics in Quebec typically quote $150 to $400 per session for self-pay treatment, with a full 20 to 40 session course totalling approximately $3,000 to $16,000. RAMQ covers HBOT at Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal for the 14 recognised conditions with a physician referral, at no out-of-pocket cost. CPSA accreditation in Alberta or equivalent provincial standards elsewhere apply to private clinics; confirm billing arrangements with each clinic.

For urgent cases, Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis serves Quebec City, the Eastern Townships, and the Côte-Nord, while Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal serves Greater Montreal, the Laurentians, and the Outaouais. Patients in more distant regions, including Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and Gaspésie, are coordinated to the appropriate programme through their physician and the regional CIUSSS, with urgent transfers arranged through the regional CIUSSS critical care transport network and air ambulance for emergencies depending on clinical urgency.

Emergencies are treated immediately at both hospital programmes, which operate 24/7 chambers. For chronic and elective indications such as problem wounds, late effects of radiation, and refractory osteomyelitis, cases are scheduled by the receiving hospital after assessment, and wait times vary by indication and capacity. Confirm current scheduling with the receiving programme directly when your physician sends the referral. Private clinic treatment is self-pay and is not RAMQ-covered.